When researching long-term care facilities or nursing homes, Chicago residents might be struck by how various facilities try to distinguish themselves from each other. They may claim to offer unique and desirable services. They may make offers of cost-effectiveness and tout their records of safety. Because many want to stand out to draw the attention of consumers, it can be difficult for the average person to compare them.
However, the Illinois Department of Public Health provides one good way that a person can begin to compare nursing homes and other similar facilities. It, along with a host of other federal and state-run agencies, regulates nursing homes to ensure that they offer adequate safety and care to their residents. A nursing home in the state of Illinois must be fully in compliance with state regulations as well as many federal mandates.
When the residents or families of people residing in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other care centers make complaints about such organizations, IDPH investigates the complaints through surveys. A survey is a site evaluation that looks into all aspects of the individual’s underlying complaint against the facility. In many cases, when a resident suffers serious injuries due to nursing home neglect or abuse, a survey is instigated to root out the cause of the harm.
Senior citizens and anyone else who requires the care of a nursing home or medical care facility deserve to be treated with respect and professionalism when they take residence in such places. The state and several other organizations work to ensure that those care centers and homes operate according to the laws that govern them. Individuals with specific questions about this topic may benefit from working with attorneys who have experience with these kinds of cases.
